Bruce Dern set for career achievement honor at Palm Springs fest

Bruce Dern, currently starring in "Nebraska," will receive the Career Achievement Award at the 25th Palm Springs International Film Festival gala.

Bruce Dern, currently starring in "Nebraska," will receive the Career Achievement Award at the 25th Palm Springs International Film Festival gala. (Chris Pizzello / Invision / Associated Press)

Susan King

Bruce Dern will be the recipient of the Career Achievement Award at the 25th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival.

Dern, who won best-actor honors at the Cannes Film Festival for Alexander Payne's "Nebraska" and is considered a likely contender for a lead actor Oscar, will receive his latest plaudit at an awards gala Jan. 4 at the Palm Springs Convention Center.

"Bruce Dern is truly a one-of-a-kind performer," festival chairman Harold Matzner said in a statement. "His skill at capturing the essence of a character, no matter how complex or unorthodox, is unique and unparalleled."

The 77-year-old Dern, the father of actress Laura Dern and ex-husband of her mother, actress Diane Ladd, has appeared in scores of films over the past five decades including "Marnie," "Wild Angels," "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?"; "Coming Home," for which he earned a supporting actor Oscar nomination; "Silent Running," "Black Sunday" and "The Driver." He also appeared on the hit HBO series "Big Love."